Cement industry gangway

ABSTRACT

A safety cage improves the safety of workers servicing tanker vehicles having top side hatches. A part or parts of the cage can be repositioned to permit the hatch cover to be opened and then can be returned to a safety enhancing position.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser.No. 12/831,393 filed Jul. 7, 2010, which is incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND

Loading tanks of transport trucks is a hazardous and dangerous task. Toprepare the tank for loading, it is necessary for a worker to open thehatch or hatches on the upper surface of the tank. The upper surface ofthe tank is typically cylindrical and often slippery causing frequentslips and falls by workers. Further, the worker must access the topsurface again after the tank is loaded to close the hatch or hatches onthe tank. Because of these hazardous conditions, it is known in the artto use safety cages to protect the workman, such as the one disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 7,216,741.

Most safety cages in the art are ineffective in providing fallprotection for transport trucks such as dry bulk transport trucks. Thetypical standard operating procedure for loading dry bulk transporttrucks is to open the hatch at one location, drive the truck to aloading station for loading, and then close the hatch at the secondlocation or return the truck to the original or another locationsuitable for closing the hatch. The hatch cover is normally hinged on ahorizontal axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the tank andtruck. When the hatch cover is opened, it is desirable to pivot thehatch cover to a fully open position in which the top of the cover restson the upper part of one lateral side of the tank. If the side railingof a safety cage is spaced laterally outward a sufficient distance topermit the hatch cover to be fully opened, the side railing ispositioned too far laterally to prevent the worker from falling. It alsomay be too far away to be used by the worker as a grab bar to regainbalance or to stop a fall. Conversely, if the side railing of a safetycage is spaced laterally inward a sufficient distance to prevent theworker from falling, the hatch cover is not permitted to be fullyopened.

SUMMARY

The present invention includes an apparatus for providing safe access tothe top of a mobile container having a hatch cover positioned at the topof the mobile container that pivots between an open and a closedposition. In one embodiment of the invention, the apparatus includes agangway capable of being raised and lowered and a cage having a firstend attached to the gangway and an opposing second end. The cage mayalso include a first lateral side, a second lateral side, and a joiningside for joining the first and second lateral sides at the opposingsecond end of the cage. The joining side may include a gate that isvertically slidably engaged with the joining side. The gangway or cageis typically attached to a service station platform for preparing themobile container for loading.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the apparatus includes agangway capable of being raised and lowered and a cage having an openbottom. The cage includes a first end attached to the gangway and anopposing second end. The cage may also include a first lateral side, asecond lateral side, and a joining side for joining the first and secondlateral sides at the opposing second end of the cage. Further, the cagemay include a partial floor adjoining the first and second lateral sidesat the first end wherein the partial floor is dimensioned to extend lessthan half the length of the first lateral side of the cage. The partialfloor may pivot about an axis extending parallel with the first end ofthe cage.

The present invention also includes a method for providing safe accessto a top of a mobile container having a hatch cover positioned at thetop of the mobile container that pivots between an open and a closedposition. In one embodiment of the invention, the method includes thesteps of providing a gangway capable of being raised and lowered andproviding a cage. The cage may have a first end attached to the gangwayand an opposing second end wherein the cage includes a first lateralside, a second lateral side, and a joining side for joining the firstand second lateral sides at the opposing second end of the cage.Further, the joining side may include a gate that is vertically slidablyengaged with the joining side. The method further includes the steps ofpositioning the cage into engagement with the mobile container bylowering the gangway wherein the cage surrounds the hatch cover of themobile container and sliding the gate in an upward direction to allowaccess for the hatch cover of the mobile container to be pivoted betweenan open and closed position.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the method includes thesteps of providing a gangway capable of being raised and lowered andproviding a cage. The cage may have a first end attached to the gangwayand an opposing second end wherein the cage includes a first lateralside, a second lateral side, a joining side for joining the first andsecond lateral sides at the opposing second end of the cage, and apartial floor adjoining the first and second lateral sides at the firstend of the cage. Further, the partial floor may pivot about an axisextending parallel with the first end of the cage. The method furtherincludes the steps of positioning the cage into engagement with themobile container by lowering the gangway wherein the cage surrounds thehatch cover of the mobile container and pivoting the partial floor aboutthe axis in an upward direction to allow access for the hatch cover ofthe mobile container to be pivoted between an open and closed position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of an access platform, the gangway and the safetycage positioned above the hatch of a dry bulk material tank mounted on atruck;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the safety cage and the gangway shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is a side view of the safety cage and the gangway in the storedposition;

FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the safety cage and the gangway in thestored position;

FIG. 4A is a side view of the safety cage and the gangway in theextended loading position;

FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the safety cage and the gangway in theextended loading position;

FIG. 4C is a close-up view from FIG. 4B of the roller feature of thesafety cage.

FIG. 5A is a side view of the safety cage and the gangway in theextended loading position with the gate raised;

FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the safety cage and the gangway in theextended loading position with the gate raised;

FIG. 6A is a side view of the safety cage and the gangway in theextended loading position with the cage floor pivoted upward;

FIG. 6B is a perspective view of the safety cage and the gangway in theextended loading position with the cage floor pivoted upward;

FIG. 7 is a front view of an access platform, the gangway and the safetycage positioned above the hatch of a dry bulk material tank mounted on atruck with the hatch open for loading; and

FIG. 8 is a front view of an access platform, the gangway and the safetycage positioned above the hatch of a dry bulk material tank mounted on atruck returning from loading in the opposite direction of FIG. 7 withthe hatch open and cage floor raised for closing the hatch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is related to a safety cage and gangway that isparticularly suitable for use when opening and closing the hatch of atanker truck and in particular a dry bulk material tanker truck.Although primarily described herein in terms of its use with tank trucksand service station platforms, it will be clear that the presentinvention can also be used in connection with a variety of other mobilecontainers and service station configurations. The invention will bedescribed with reference to the figures forming an integral non-limitingpart of the instant specification. Throughout the description similarelements will be numbered accordingly.

FIG. 1 illustrates a tanker vehicle in the form of a dry bulk materialtank truck 11 positioned for servicing at a standard hatch opening andclosing station that includes a worker access or service platform 12with a floor 13, typically supported by one or more pillars 14, and astairway or ladder 16. Typical dry bulk material handling tankervehicles have a hatch 17 on the top of a tank 18 with a hatch cover 19which is pivotally hinged to the hatch 17 on a horizontal axis 21extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, that is, in afore and aft direction. The open position of the hatch cover is shown bybroken lines 22.

In order to enhance the safety of workmen who open and close the hatchesof the tanker vehicles, a safety cage 20 is provided, which is designedto be placed in encompassing relation to the hatch 17. The safety cage20 is supported on the free end of a gangway 30. As more fully discussedbelow, gangway 30 includes an access stairway 33 having steps that maybe self leveling and body 34 supporting the stairway 33. Gangway 30 isaffixed to platform 12 so that it can be raised to a stored positioned,as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, and lowered to an access position, as shownin FIGS. 4A and 4B. Access to tank trucks of differing heights isfacilitated by the use of self leveling steps in stairway 33.

As shown in FIG. 1, the access stairway 33 of gangway 30 has beenlowered to its safety enhancing position in which the bottom of thesafety cage 20 encircles the hatch 17 and rests on the top of the tank18 of the tank truck 11. In a preferred embodiment, the bottom of thesafety cage 20 includes a rubber padding, which reduces scratching andmovement between the cage 20 and the tank 18.

Referring to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 through 6, the safety cage20 forms an open-ended quadrilateral shape and is comprised of twoopposing upright sides 40 and 50, a joining upright side 60, and apartial pivotable floor 70. Floor 70 is positioned adjacent to thegangway 30. The safety cage 20 is open-ended to allow access fromplatform floor 13 and gangway 30 to floor 70 of cage 20. To provideadditional safety, cage 20 may be only partially opened between gangway30 and floor 70 of cage 20 or include an entry way that is capable ofbeing closed when a worker is within cage 20.

The first upright side 40 includes a bottom horizontal rail 41, anintermediate horizontal rail 42, and an upper horizontal rail 43. Thefirst upright side 40 also includes a first vertical rail 44 positionedadjacent to the gangway 30, an intermediate vertical rail 45 thatintersects the horizontal rails 41, 42, and 43, and a third verticalrail 46 positioned adjacent to joining upright side 60. Bottomhorizontal rail 41 is secured to the lower end of the vertical rails 44,45, and 46, intermediate horizontal rail 42 is secured in approximatelythe middle of the vertical rails 44, 45, and 46, and upper horizontalrail 43 is secured to the upper end of the vertical rails 44, 45, and46. The horizontal rails 41, 42, and 43 and vertical rails 44, 45, and46 are rigidly secured at their respective points of intersection bytechniques such as welding or providing bolt-type attachments.

The second upright side 50, which opposes first upright side 40,includes a bottom horizontal rail 51, an intermediate horizontal rail52, and an upper horizontal rail 53. Similar to the first upright side40, the second upright side 50 also includes a first vertical rail 54positioned adjacent to the gangway 30, an intermediate vertical rail 55that intersects the horizontal rails 51, 52, and 53, and a thirdvertical rail 56 positioned adjacent to joining upright side 60. Bottomhorizontal rail 51 is secured to the lower end of the vertical rails 54,55, and 56, intermediate horizontal rail 52 is secured in approximatelythe middle of the vertical rails 54, 55, and 56, and upper horizontalrail 53 is secured to the upper end of the vertical rails 54, 55, and56. The horizontal rails 51, 52, and 53 and vertical rails 54, 55, and56 are rigidly secured at their respective points of intersection bytechniques such as welding or providing bolt attachments.

The joining upright side 60 includes an intermediate horizontal rail 62and an upper horizontal rail 63. The ends of horizontal rails 62, 63 aresecured to vertical rail 46 of the first upright side 40 and verticalrail 56 of the second upright side 50. In the embodiment shown in FIGS.3 through 6, vertical rails 46 and 56 are taller than the remainingvertical rails 44, 45, 54, and 55. Upper horizontal rail 63 ispositioned between the upper ends of vertical rails 46 and 56 andintermediate horizontal rail 62 is positioned in approximately themiddle of vertical rails 46 and 56. Vertical rails 46 and 56 aregenerally U-shaped with their open ends facing inward towards eachother. The horizontal rails 62 and 63 and vertical rails 46 and 56 arerigidly secured at their respective points of intersection on the outerback side of the U-shape of vertical rails 46 and 56 by techniques suchas welding or providing bolt attachments.

The joining upright side 60 further includes a gate 80 that verticallyslides relative to vertical rails 46 and 56. In the embodiment shown inFIGS. 3 through 6, the gate 80 includes a bottom horizontal member 81, atop horizontal member 84, and two intermediate horizontal members 82 and83. Each horizontal member has a handle 85 extending inward towards thecenter of cage 20. Gate 80 also includes a first vertical member 86positioned adjacent to and within the U-shape of vertical rail 46 and asecond vertical member 87 positioned adjacent to and within the U-shapeof vertical rail 56. The horizontal members 81, 82, 83, and 84 arepositioned between vertical members 86 and 87. Typically, first andsecond vertical members 86 and 87 are approximately the same height asvertical rails 46 and 56.

As shown in more detail at 95 in FIGS. 4B & 4C, vertical rails 46 and 56have cut-out portions 90 along the back side of the respective U-shapeswith a roller 91, such as a nylon roller, affixed therein. In theembodiment shown, each rail 46 and 56 includes two cut-out portions 90and rollers 91. Each roller is positioned and stabilized inside thecut-out portion 90 by pin 92. The pin 92 is inserted through one lateralside of the U-shape of the respective vertical rail 46, 56, through theroller 91, and then through the opposing lateral side of the respectivevertical rail 46, 56. Pin 92 extends parallel with the first and secondupright sides so that the roller 91 rotates around an axis that isparallel with the first and second upright sides 40 and 50. Verticalmember 86, shown in FIGS. 5A & 5B, is positioned adjacent to the rollers91 on vertical rail 46 and vertical member 87, also shown in FIGS. 5A &5B, is positioned adjacent to rollers 91 on vertical rail 56. Gate 80 isheld in place and unable to fall away from joining side 60 because ofthe position of vertical members 86 and 87 within the U-shape ofvertical rails 46 and 56. Alternatively, instead of forming a U-shape,vertical rails 46 and 56 have stop members or gate 80 has holding meansto restrain gate 80 from falling away from joining side 60. Further,tabs 93 affixed at the upper end of vertical members 86 and 87 andpositioned to extend at least partially over a portion of the U-shape ofvertical rails 46 and 56 keep gate 80 from sliding below cage 20.Alternatively, stops affixed to the bottom of the U-shape of verticalrails 46 and 56 keep gate 80 from sliding below cage 20.

As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, when a worker grasps handle 85 and appliesupward force to gate 80, vertical members 86 and 87 slide upward alongrollers 91 and within the U-shape of vertical rails 46 and 56. Becausejoining upright side 60 does not have a bottom horizontal rail, a gap oropening is formed in cage 20 allowing the hatch cover 19 of tank truck11 to be fully opened so that the top of the hatch cover 19 rests on theupper part of one lateral side of the tank 18 of tank truck 11.

Spring loaded reels 88 may be used to assist movement of gate 80 in theupward direction along rollers 91 and are beneficial in preventing cage20 from lifting upward due to the upward force and movement of gate 80.In the embodiment shown, three spring loaded reels 88 are affixed tointermediate horizontal rail 62 at approximately equal spacing betweenvertical rails 46 and 56. As more clearly shown in FIG. 6A, the reels 88each include cables 89, which extend from the reels to the bottomhorizontal member 81 of gate 80. Alternatively, counterweights may beused to assist movement of gate 80.

Partial pivotable floor 70 of cage 20 is positioned between the twoopposing upright sides 40 and 50 and at the opposing end of cage 20 fromjoining upright side 60. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6B, floor 70 isgenerally quadrilateral in shape and has a first side 71 adjacent togangway 30, a second side 72 adjacent to upright side 40, a third side73 opposing first side 71, and a fourth side 74 adjacent to upright side50.

As more fully shown in FIG. 2, bottom horizontal rails 41 and 51 includestops or tabs 75 that support floor 70 at the intersection of sides 72and 73 and the intersection of sides 74 and 73. Tabs 75 are typicallywelded to bottom horizontal rails 41 and 51 but other attachment orforming techniques may be used but must be rigid and secure enough tosupport the weight of a worker. Floor 70 also includes a pivot axis 76that runs along first side 71 of floor 70 and connects to first verticalrails 44 and 54 of opposing lateral sides 40 and 50, respectively. Asshown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, floor 70 rotates around pivot axis 76. Tabs 75stop floor 70 from rotating to a position below bottom horizontal rails41 and 51 of cage 20. Stops may also be located on or approximate tovertical rails 44 and 54 to stop floor 70 from rotating to a positionbeyond vertical rails 44 and 54.

In the embodiment shown, pivot axis 76 extends through first verticalrail 44, through floor 70 along first side 71, and then through firstvertical rail 54. Pivot axis 76 is secured on the outer side of thefirst vertical rails 44 and 54 using a bolt and nut type assembly, whichsecures axis 76 to cage 20 but still allows floor 70 to rotate withrespect to axis 76.

As shown in FIGS. 7, 6A, and 6B, when a worker standing on the upperpart of the tank 18 of tank truck 11 applies upward force to floor 70,floor 70 pivots with respect to axis 76 to an upward position. Theupward position is shown in FIG. 6B and is also illustrated in FIGS. 6Aand 7 by dotted lines. When floor 70 is in the upward position, anopening is formed between cage 20 and hatch 17 of tank 18. The openingis large enough for the hatch cover 19 of hatch 17 to be fully opened sothat the top of the hatch cover 19 rests on the upper part of onelateral side of the tank 18 of tank truck 11. After the hatch cover 19is opened, floor 70 is again lowered to its downward position eitherresting on tabs 75 or a portion of tank 18, whichever is higher, so thatthe worker can walk safely back to the gangway 30 and platform floor 13.

As discussed above, gangway 30 includes an access stairway 33 havingsteps and a body 34 for supporting the stairway 33. Gangway body 34typically incorporates treads for securing the steps of stairway 33.Gangway 30 also includes vertical posts 35 extending upward andapproximately in line with the vertical rails 44, 45, 46 of cage 20 on afirst lateral side 31 and vertical posts 35 extending upward andapproximately in line with vertical rails 54, 55, 56 of cage 20 on asecond lateral side 32. Handrail 36 connects vertical posts 35 on thefirst lateral side 31 and handrail 37 connects vertical posts 35 on thesecond lateral side 32 of gangway 30. The handrail of gangway 30 may beextended on one or both sides to block the exit so that a worker isunable to easily access the access or ladder 16 while the gangway is inthe down position. In the embodiments shown, handrail 37 is extended.

As discussed above, gangway 30 is connected to platform 12 and ispivotable between a raised stored positioned, as shown in FIGS. 3A and3B, to a lowered access position, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B.Frequently, at least the first and last steps of stairway 33 are selfleveling so that the gangway 30 can adjust to varying heights of tanktrucks and resting positions of cage 20. For example, as shown in FIG.1, gangway 30 is positioned parallel with platform 12 and the bottom ofcage 20. In contrast, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, gangway 30 ispositioned at a downward angle with platform 12 and the bottom of cage20.

Cage 20 is supported on the free end of gangway 30. In the embodimentshown, a portion of body 34 of gangway 30 extends under a portion ofcage 20 including first vertical rails 44 and 54 of lateral sides 40 and50, respectively. Cage 20 is secured to gangway 30 by a bolt 38extending through the portion of body 34 extending under cage 20 andinto first vertical rail 44 of lateral side 40. Cage 20 is also securedto gangway 30 by a bolt 38 extending through the portion of body 34extending under cage 20 and into first vertical rail 54 of lateral side50. The portion of body 34 that extends under cage 20 is positioned lowenough so that it will not interfere with the pivoting of floor 70 aboutaxis 76. Other securing mechanisms may also be used to secure cage 20 togangway 30. Furthermore, cage 20 may be secured directly to platform 12thereby eliminating the need for a gangway.

It should be noted that there are several configurations suitable forthe design of cage 20, and the number of vertical and horizontal railsand members discussed above are for example only and represent but oneof these configurations. Other configurations altering the number andpositions of rails and members could be employed to demonstrate theinvention. Further, several configurations suitable for the design ofgangway 30 and the number of posts and steps discussed above are forexample only and represent but one of these configurations. Otherconfigurations altering the number and position of posts and steps couldbe employed to demonstrate the invention. All configurations known inthe art are intended to be encompassed by the present invention and thedescription and drawings should not be deemed to narrow the scope of thepresent invention in any way.

In performing servicing operations, gangway 30 is in its stored positionso that safety cage 20 is also in an elevated position. The tank truck11 is driven beneath the safety cage 20, and the gangway 30 and safetycage 20 are then lowered to the safety enhancing position shown in FIG.1 wherein the cage rests on the top of tank 18 of tank truck 11. Gangway30 may be lowered using varying techniques such as by releasing a footlock on the body of gangway 30 or by pneumatic or hydraulic actuators.Extended handrail 37 blocks the stairs or ladder 16 of the platform 12so that the worker is hindered from exiting without raising the gangway30 and cage 20 to the stored position. After the cage is lowered to itssafety enhancing position, the worker opens the latches that securehatch cover 19 to hatch 17. The hatch cover 19, however, is not capableof being pivoted to its fully open position shown in broken lines 22because of the bottom horizontal member 81 and its corresponding handle85, which is spaced laterally from the hatch cover a distance less thanthe width of the hatch cover 19. As shown in FIG. 8, upon applyingupward force to gate 80, the worker can then fully open hatch cover 19by pivoting the hatch cover 19 under extended gate 80. Gate 80 is thenreleased so that it returns to its lowered position and the worker exitsthe safety cage 20 and returns to platform 12. The gangway 30 and cage20 are then raised such as by exerting force downward on extendedhandrail 37 of gangway 30 until the gangway has raised up enough toallow the foot lock to engage or by pneumatic or hydraulic actuators. Inthe stored position, extended handrail 37 no longer blocks the stairs orladder 16 of the platform 12 so the worker can easily exit the platform12. The truck 11 is then driven to a loading station, not shown, toreceive bulk material such as cement.

Alternatively, if the tank truck 11 approaches the service station inthe opposite direction or hatch cover 19 was pivotally hinged to hatch17 on a horizontal axis on the opposing side of hatch 17 to horizontalaxis 21 (such as shown in FIG. 7), the hatch cover 19 would not becapable of being pivoted to its open position because of floor 70, whichis spaced laterally from the hatch cover a distance less than the widthof the hatch cover 19. However, the hatch cover 19 can be opened byapplying upward force to floor 70, which causes floor 70 to pivot withrespect to axis 76 to the upright position depicted by dotted lines inFIG. 7. After the hatch cover 19 is fully opened, floor 70 can bereleased so that it returns to its downward position either resting ontabs 75 or a portion of tank 18, and the worker can exit the safety cage20 and return to platform 12. The gangway 30 and cage 20 are thenraised, and the truck 11 is driven to a loading station, not shown, toreceive bulk material such as cement.

After material has been loaded, tank truck 11 is then driven back to theservicing station where a worker closes the hatch cover 19. The hatchcover 19 is closed using the same techniques discussed above. Thetechnique used, pivoting of the floor 70 or lifting of gate 80, dependson the direction that the tank truck 11 approaches the service stationand which side the hatch cover 19 is hinged to the hatch 17.

Optionally, gates and/or floor panels may also be added to other sidesof cage 20. For example, if the hatch cover 19 opens on a horizontalaxis perpendicular to axis 21 and extending in the lateral direction ofthe vehicle, upright sides 40 and/or 50 may be configured to include agate similar to gate 80 and the bottom horizontal rail 41 and 51,respectively, would be at least partially removed or positioned so thatit does not interfere with hatch cover 19. Alternatively, upright sides40 and/or 50 may be configured to include a floor panel similar to theconfiguration of floor 70 with a pivoting axis.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been describedabove, it should be understood that they have been presented by way ofexample, and not limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilled inthe relevant art(s) that various changes in form and detail can be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention. In fact, after reading the above description, it will beapparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement theinvention in alternative embodiments. Thus, the present invention shouldnot be limited by any of the above described exemplary embodiments.

In addition, it should be understood that the figures, which highlightthe functionality and advantages of the present invention, are presentedfor purposes of example only. The architecture of the present inventionis sufficiently flexible and configurable, such that it may be used inways other than that shown in the accompanying figures.

Further, the purpose of the Abstract of the Disclosure is to enable theU.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, andespecially the scientists, engineers, and practitioners in the art whoare not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determinequickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of thetechnical disclosure of the application. The Abstract of the Disclosureis not intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in anyway.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for providing safe access to a topof a mobile container, said mobile container having a hatch coverpositioned at the top of said mobile container, said hatch cover pivotsbetween an open and a closed position, said apparatus comprising: agangway capable of being raised and lowered; a cage having a first endattached to said gangway and an opposing second end, said cagecomprising a first lateral side, a second lateral side, and a joiningside for joining said first and second lateral sides at said opposingsecond end of said cage; said first lateral side and said second lateralside each having horizontally extending rails, said joining sidecomprising a first horizontal rail, a second horizontal rail, a firstvertical rail, and a second vertical rail, said first and secondhorizontal rails of said joining side connected to said first and secondvertical rails of said joining side; and a slidable gate positioneddirectly adjacent to said joining side and within said cage, said gateis vertically slidably engaged with said first and second vertical railsof said joining side inward of said first and second horizontal rails ofsaid joining side; said gate includes a handle extending inward towardsthe center of said cage, said handle is accessible from the inside ofsaid cage; wherein said gate slides entirely within said cage.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein said gate further comprises an uppersurface having tabs, said tabs engaging said cage to prevent said gatefrom sliding below said cage.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein saidfirst lateral side of said cage comprises a first horizontal rail, asecond horizontal rail, and a third horizontal rail, said first lateralside also comprises a first vertical rail and a second vertical rail,said first vertical rail of said first lateral side affixed to saidgangway.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said second lateral side ofsaid cage comprises a first horizontal rail, a second horizontal rail,and a third horizontal rail, said second lateral side also comprises afirst vertical rail and a second vertical rail, said first vertical railof said second lateral side affixed to said gangway.
 5. The apparatus ofclaim 4 wherein said gate is slideably engaged with said first andsecond vertical rails of said joining side by rollers affixed to saidfirst and second vertical rails of said joining side.
 6. The apparatusof claim 1 wherein said gate is slideably engaged with said first andsecond vertical rails of said joining side by rollers affixed to saidfirst and second vertical rails of said joining side and wherein saidgate includes spring loaded reels for assisting movement of said gate.7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an elevated platformwherein said gangway is attached to said platform.
 8. The apparatus ofclaim 7, wherein said gangway comprises a gangway body, posts extendingvertically above said gangway body, and a handrail attached to saidposts.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said gangway is raised andlowered with said handrail and said platform comprises an access wayhaving steps, said handrail hinders access between said elevatedplatform and said access way when said gangway is lowered.
 10. Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein said cage further comprises a partial flooradjoining said first and second lateral sides at said first end.
 11. Anapparatus for providing safe access to a top of a mobile container, saidmobile container having a hatch cover positioned at the top of saidmobile container, said hatch cover pivots between an open and a closedposition, said apparatus comprising: a gangway capable of being raisedand lowered; and a cage having an open bottom, a first end attached tosaid gangway, and an opposing second end, said cage comprising a firstlateral side, a second lateral side, a joining side for joining saidfirst and second lateral sides at said opposing second end of said cage,and a partial floor adjoining said first and second lateral sides atsaid first end, said partial floor dimensioned to extend less than halfthe length of said first lateral side of said cage; wherein said partialfloor includes a pivot axis rod and pivots about said pivot axis rod,said pivot axis rod extends parallel with said first end of said cage;wherein said pivot axis rod extends through said first lateral side,said partial floor, and said second lateral side and beyond said firstlateral side and said second lateral side, said pivot axis rod issecured to said first lateral side at a first pivot axis rod end and tosaid second lateral side at a second opposing pivot axis rod end,further comprising an elevated platform wherein said gangway is attachedto said platform, wherein said gangway comprises a gangway body and ahandrail attached to said gangway, wherein said gangway is raised andlowered with said handrail and said platform comprises an access wayhaving steps, said handrail hinders access between said elevatedplatform and said access way when said gangway is lowered.
 12. Theapparatus of claim 11 wherein said gangway comprises a body and anaccess, said body supports said access and said access includes a selfleveling step.
 13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said first lateralside of said cage comprises a first horizontal rail, a second horizontalrail, and a third horizontal rail, said first lateral side alsocomprises a first vertical rail, a second vertical rail, and a thirdvertical rail, said first vertical rail of said first lateral sideaffixed to said gangway and connected to said first pivot axis rod endof said pivot axis rod.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein saidsecond lateral side of said cage comprises a first horizontal rail, asecond horizontal rail, and a third horizontal rail, said second lateralside also comprises a first vertical rail, a second vertical rail, and athird vertical rail, said first vertical rail of said second lateralside affixed to said gangway and connected to said second opposing pivotaxis rod end of said pivot axis rod.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14wherein said joining side comprises a first horizontal rail and a secondhorizontal rail, said first and second horizontal rails connected tosaid third vertical rail of said first lateral side and said thirdvertical rail of said second lateral side.